Power Adapter Possibly to Blame for Basement Fire

Firefighters responded to a duplex on Loreen Drive for a fire in the basement. The 911 caller met Ladder Co. 7 outside and reported there was a small fire behind their dryer. Smoke detectors were alarming inside.

Firefighters entered the home and proceeded to the basement. The crew found a visible “outlet-sized fire” behind the dryer. They pulled the dryer away and extinguished the fire with a water can. There was heavy charring around the outlet box where the dryer had been plugged in. Firefighters ventilated the basement to clear out the smoke.

According to occupants, the dryer was recently installed. Firefighters found the dryer’s power cord plugged into a three-prong to four-prong adapter. With heavy fire damage to the end of the plug as well as the outlet box, a definitive ignition source could not be confirmed; however, evidence suggests the problem may have originated with the adapter.